Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have unveiled a strategic partnership to deepen trade, defence and energy ties, marking a major step in relations between the two NATO allies.
Carney announced the agreement during a landmark visit to Ankara on Thursday, becoming the first Canadian prime minister to visit Türkiye.
The visit comes as Ottawa looks to diversify its trade partnerships and reduce its economic reliance on the U.S.
The two NATO allies agreed on a three-year action plan focused on four areas: trade and investment, defence and security, energy, and people-to-people relations.
Canadian and Turkish ministers also signed agreements covering energy, defence and air transport.
At a joint press conference at Ankara’s presidential complex, Carney said the partnership would unlock new economic opportunities while strengthening security in both countries.
Erdoğan hailed the agreement as a “historic step” towards closer ties, with both sides aiming to increase bilateral trade from $3 billion to $10 billion.
The leaders also agreed to work towards a comprehensive free-trade agreement, with negotiations expected to begin in Ankara next month.
Carney's visit comes against a backdrop of mounting trade tensions between Canada and the U.S., as President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs and remarks questioning Canadian sovereignty push Ottawa to seek new economic partners.
Although Carney avoided directly addressing the dispute with Washington during his visit, he criticised Trump's tariffs before leaving for Türkiye on Wednesday, saying they had “upended a trade bargain that’s existed for decades.”
For Türkiye, the partnership offers opportunities to attract foreign investment and secure technological cooperation in its growing defence industry, nuclear energy projects and critical minerals sector.
Relations between the two countries have previously been strained by Canadian restrictions on exports of optical equipment used in Turkish-made drones. However, Ottawa lifted the restrictions in 2024, paving the way for renewed defence industry cooperation.
Carney is due to travel to Istanbul on Friday, accompanied by senior Canadian ministers, for talks with Turkish investors and business leaders.
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